Astrology GIFs for the Week of February 1, 2016

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Although February 2, Groundhog Day, is seen as more of a joke in America, the day has spiritual and historical importance in many other places. In ancient Ireland and Scotland, the day was called Imbolc, which was later Christianized into the feast day of Saint Brigid. Throughout most of the Christian world, it’s now known as Candlemas. The consistent theme throughout all of these incarnations is the emphasis on purifying oneself and honoring light, like the sun’s imminent return in spring.

February’s very name bears a similar message since the Latin root, februare, means purification, especially by fire and smoke. But how does one of the coldest months in the northern hemisphere bring cleansing through fire? It doesn’t. You do. Although the sun’s rise into spring happens in about seven weeks, right now we need to draw on the ardor we have in our hearts for our people and pursuits to see each through these frigid times. That’s what Aquarius season is about mostly.

Sensual Venus helps fan the flames of that passion when she saddles up with pent-up Pluto on Fly-Your-Freak-Flag Friday. She keeps the fires raging when she ignites unpredictable Uranus and passionate Mars on Saturday and Sunday. Although Valentine’s Day is next week, there are plenty of opportunities to stir up some romance this weekend. If you’re solo, you can still turn up the sexiness by buying something that makes you feel and look scorching. That’s how real hotness happens anyway.

The planetary weather report: Use these guidelines to unlock the stars, not to be locked down by them.

The tense square between the bossy sun and combative Mars brings another kind of heat on Sunday, however. This fervor can turn into hot tempers and harshness if unchecked. (Not ideal for Super Bowl Sunday.) However, this same combo between the sun and Mars can be put to great use for pre-game cleaning. Alternatively, if you’re not watching the big game, work on a new endeavor that benefits from your energy, like scrubbing down a property you want to put on the market soon or trying the kickboxing class you’ve been wanting to take.

Read on for your sign’s Sky Code.

Aquarius (January 21 to February 18)

You feel more primed and pumped to launch into this week than last. However, you’re not as equipped to tackle as much as you’d like just yet. This isn’t Mercury’s fault. It’s the week before a new moon, and though you have clearer visions of what you’d like to accomplish, focus on settling unfinished business and releasing useless tensions. This begins with having more rest. But use all this Venus heat over the weekend to have some fun, rather than worrying about reaching new goals.

Pisces (February 19 to March 20)

Don’t be freaked out if you have some déjà vu this week. You’re very intuitive, so there are parts of it that you saw coming weeks or even months ago. You just forgot about them. Now you’re remembering, and the best part is that you can use your recall powers to gain a leg up, especially in certain vital relationships. Let important people know how much they matter to you. Also, take action in doing something you just know is right, even though you can’t quite explain how you know that.

Aries (March 21 to April 19)

Other folks might need to bring more heat to their endeavors and gatherings, but you likely need to refine your heat-delivery system, at least until the weekend. Steamy Venus is in the position to help you draw more attention to yourself, almost effortlessly, but be careful not to be too provocative in your interpersonal dealings. Keep yourself flavorful rather than outright hot and spicy. Over the weekend, do something highly energetic, like club-hopping or a double SoulCycle session.

Taurus (April 20 to May 20)

With the sun at the top of your celestial chart’s career sector, you feel ready to charge ahead. However, to others, you might come off like a bull in a china shop. There’s no sense lamenting why people are so damn fragile, because that’ll only make you want to break ‘em more. The better option is to tackle what you can alone or with folks who have already proven themselves to be made of sterner stuff. When you do have to deal with more sensitive souls, especially at work, slow down, breathe, and concentrate on one detail at a time.

Gemini (May 21 to June 20)

For many of us, our spiritual teachings say that our beliefs shape our lives. Whether you’re certain of that or not, your beliefs about how people should be treated are being questioned now. Before you jump up in outrage about someone else being mistreated, take a close look at how you’re treating others, especially when their mental footsteps can’t keep up with yours. You might come off more condescending than you recognize. Your frustration comes from your assumption that people should grasp obvious things, like you do.

Cancer (June 21 to July 21)

Once someone has unburdened his or her heart on you, you’re faced with choices. However, you don’t always think that you have any options, since your first impulse is to shelter the person you care for. You may have to be wiser about how you protect and comfort others. Honestly, not everyone is worthy, and the fireworks between loving Venus, discerning Pluto, and iconoclastic Uranus this weekend will bring that to the fore. On the other hand, you can only do so much before you’re sacrificing too much of yourself or your obligations to other loved ones.

Leo (July 22 to August 21)

You might feel bored or tired by the purging you’ve been doing and feel a need to infuse life and energy into what you’ve cleansed. You’ll need to be more thoughtful about what’s essential to have around you, and this includes people. It’s okay if you feel more vulnerable and touchy. You rightly sense that there are bigger shifts ahead, and taking your time to figure out where you’re going to direct your focus and make new commitments will help you feel better overall.

Virgo (August 22 to September 21)

You’re back into the thick of routine life, but you’re not necessarily excited about it. If you get cranky, it’s likely to happen because someone messed up something you’d laid out meticulously, like the Super Bowl party you carefully orchestrated, even though you knew you’d only half-watch the game. The real pleasure shouldn’t be in creating the perfect plan. It’s the thoughtfulness behind how you make people feel. Others don’t likely appreciate order as much as you do, but they probably won’t forget the level of detail you put into things.

Libra (September 22 to October 21)

Your decorating and creative talents are on fire right now. Although there’s still some fun to be had in playing with the look and feel of your home, like you might have started to last week, you can also get to work on sharpening your winter style, especially if you’re out on the dating scene. You might also look ahead and sift through some ideas for refreshing your spring wardrobe. Looking good is among the things you do best, and the cosmos is delivering an opportunity for you to look even better.

Scorpio (October 22 to November 21)

You might find yourself making Freudian slips or strutting your stuff more than usual, even when you’re not trying. It could easily happen when you are attempting to focus on anything else, like making it through another work meeting or daydreaming about Cancun. This means you need to use extra caution if you don’t want someone off your radar to misconstrue a flip remark for a full-on flirtation. However, this weekend, if you want to wield your charm to mark someone as your territory, don’t hold back.

Sagittarius (November 22 to December 21)

Although you truly want to stay on budget, there’s only so much seriousness and fiscal responsibility that a fire child like you can take. You’re going to have to blow off some steam (and dough) to preserve your sanity. You can get in touch with your higher self by doing something that harnesses your powerful sensual impulses and drives without breaking the bank. Guilt, be damned! Angle to do something different and meaningful, like a tantric workshop, rather than a mani-pedi.

Capricorn (December 22 to January 20)

Keep a close watch on your precious resources, like sleep, money, time, and your Scotch supply. As a sign of serious Saturn, you know more than most that you can only spend a limited amount of time and energy on certain projects and people. This means you have to prioritize. Someone close to you or a set of associates might not like learning they’re not the high priority in your life that they thought themselves to be. However, you can’t be all things for everyone. Sometimes you have to lighten your load, including folks not carrying their own weight, in order to climb your destined ladders.